Functgraph 3D Printer Transforms Into a Personal Factory

In Japan, engineers at Meiji University have converted a standard FDM 3D printer into a wonder of modern marvel that’s akin to having a personal robotic factory on a desktop. Known as the Functgraph, the personal factory can print and manipulate various end-effectors and actuators to perform complex tasks, including folding laundry, slicing vegetables, packaging collectible rabbit figures, and more. After 3D printing the parts it needs for any effector or actuator, the Functgraph can then pick up the printed pieces, remove any excess material, then assemble the parts into functional tools.

The Functgraph appears to be a stock Creality CR-10 printer with a pair of custom tool-head switchers, one for attaching end-effectors and the other for removing them using a clip-on/off motion. There is also a tower on one side of the printer for depositing an end-effector after use and a barb that allows the attachment arm to mate with the tool by pressing down. Once the end-effector is attached, it’s used to move the pieces on the print bed, then assembling them in place.

End-effectors feature hooks for removing excess material, folding printed parts, or moving them into place for assembly. The team also used readily available materials, including PLA and a heated glass build plate for building parts. They also used support structures placed at critical areas on the bed to ensure the build stays secured during the printing process.

“The future that Functgraph aims for is as a new platform that downloads apps like smartphones and provides physical support in the real world— the realization of personal factory automation,” states engineer Yuto Kuroki in the demo video. The Functgraph is the closest we have to making the replicators used on Star Trek TNG a realization, but instead of rearranging molecules, it creates its own tools to build sandwiches.